Boiler and water heater



I 1930. 1.. D. SUMMERS BOILER AND WATER HEATER,

Filed Sept. 22. 1927 3 s ts-sh et 1 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 11, 1930.

L. D. SUMMERS BOILER AND WATER HEATER F P 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I! I 12 0 2 33 i I *6 4 l I 3 I, I I -/8 22 32 I I I I n 9 W y I I I \E tEEET- i=7, 29' I I C 5 20 INVENTOR.

BY 4U.

ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 1 1, 1930. L. D. SUMMERS 1,731,532-

BOILER AND WATER HEATER Filed Sept. 22. 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN V EN TOR.

BY Q/ZWsZ/Z A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 11, 1930 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE LOUIS D. SUMMERS, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

LEADER IRON WORKS, INC., OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION-OF DELA WARE BOILER AND WATER HEATER Application filed September 22, 1927.. Serial No. 221,369.

convenient to install and one that will de-,

velop a high percentage of efiiciency in heat transfer. 7 p

A further object of my invention is to provide a boiler and water .heater in which hard coal and cokeinay be used as well as .oil or gas and in which I accomplish the maxi-. mum of heat transfer from the products of combustion as long as the heated gasesare permitted to remain in the tubebefore they are slowly dischargedin their coolest state.

,A further object ofmy invention is to provide a boiler and Water heater in which hard coal, coke, gas oroil may be used effectively; and in the details of construction of which boiler and Water heater there is an economizer compartment adapted to effectively utilize the principle of counterfiow and stratification in permitting the hot gases to pass down through a series of gas tubes adjgacent thecombustion chamber of the boiler; and While moving slowly down throughthese tubes, transfer the greater percentage of their heat from the tubes tothe Water in a central Water chamber therein through which the gas 7 tubes extend. p r

With these and other ob ects 1n vlew, this invention concerns improvements in boiler construction, the details of which will be water heater of invention. Y

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof disclosing in a cut-away interior details of construction of my boiler and water heater.

Figure 3 is a Vertical section from-front to back of my invention. 7 Figure 4 is a horizontal cross section taken 'A A- of Figure 3.

Figure 5 isa horizontal cross section taken B' .B of Figure 3. v e V Figure 6 is a horizontal cross section taken C-Cv of Fig. p

At the present time there is a tendency toward the increased use of boilers and water heaters-that maybe adapted to use hard coal, coke, gas or oilinorderto make such heating, equipment adaptable .to use in the various.

local communities where at least'one or more.

of such fuels"maybeconveniently available.

. When burning fuels of the kind above mentioned, it is necessary to have a suificiently large combustion chamber to provide .acomplete combustion of. the fuels and'yet pro vide a large-surface to meet the radiated heat from the burning gases. i

It is necessary to maintain a temperature I of from 900 to 1 600.degrees'liahrenheit in order. to produce combustion; and when the flame, whilein the process of combustion, touches any surface with a temperature less than approximately900 degrees, it will break down thefcarbon forming what is commonly known as soot,which covers thesurface with whichit comesin. contactithus having a tendency to form a coating over'the surface that would somewhat insulate the surface from heat of the products of combustion thus making it harder to heat the surface and thus accomplish a, heat transfer to and through the'surfaces with which the products of combustion are adapted to come into contact.

,In ordertherefore to provide ,aboiler and water heater of highefliciency, I provide in my inventionlanarrangement of structural details in whlch thecombustion chamber is surrounded on all sides and above by a water leg and especially on one side by a water chamber cominun icatively connecting with the water leg; and this water chamber has a group of upright gas tUbQSCOII'lHlIllllCtltlVG- ly connecting with .the combustion chamber so as to permit thehot gases to move. downward through the tubes as they pass to the flue which receives them at their lowest'temp atur f It will be seen 7 therefore. that to design and construct a practicalboiler, it will be necessary to recognize thephysicallawis in-- volved in its successful operation and also recognize the fact that its design must be such that it will be practical to build and easy to maintain.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide in connection with a boiler and water 7 the gases in their normal course downthrough the tubes that extend through the water compartment. 7 I

Referring nowin detail to the structure of my boiler,'and the'preferred method of operating the same, I provide a central combustion chamber 1" surrounded by a water leg -2' which fills the space between wall 3 forming the combustion chamber itnd casing 4 encompassing the water Communicating with water leg 2 is a water chamber 5- through which a plurality of pipes uprightly extend. Pipes or tubes -6 are provided to nor mally carry the hot products of combustion from combustion chamber 1- down from upper gas chamber 7- to lower gas chamber 8 before they pass out ultimately through house flue 9- after giving up the greater percentage of theirheat within the tubes and the combustion chamber.

It will be evidentto those acquainted with the heating art thatwhen the hot products of combustionpass up fromthe combustion chamber -1- through opening .10 down through pipes 6- that they will move downward through the pipes relatively slow where they settle by heat stratification; and it will be further evident that where the hot gases strike the sloping top plate 1-1 and the upper ends ofpipes .6-- that they will make the water in theupper' area of water chamber 5. hotter and thus leave the water in the lowerpart of the water chamber -5- with a lower temperature where the gases are also of lower temperature as they pass out of the lower end of tubes -6-. If the products of combustion were permitted to passalwayst out through pipe draught would be the result at all times when a heavy fireis going; but by the construction of my invention I utilize the greater percentage ofheat units and get the-benefits lower gas chamber 8 through flue 9 thus getting a slower movement of the gases and holding them within the upright tubes 6- longer so they will give up more of their heat while moving.

However, I provide pipe 12 as a sort of 'fire booster for creating a strong draught when. starting a fire and maintaining that draught until the temperature reaches a certain suitable level to indicate that the fire has a good start; at which level, automatic damper 13operates to shut off the move ment of the gases through pipe -12- and to pass these gases down through tubes 6-.

Automatic by-pass damper 13- is the subject for a distinct and separate application for patent and will not be claimed in this case. This damper is actuated through the expansion and contraction of spring element -14l which is secured to damper 13- at a pivot 15 and to pipe 12- at pivot 16; and by this action of high temperatures in pipe 9 spring element 14 is caused to expand resulting in the release and pivotal movement of damper 13 on its pivot 17 causing the same by gravity to close the passage through pipe 12; but as the heat temperature gets lower, element -1 I contracts causing the damper to open and start the draught in the fire again.

It will be noted that casing -18 encompasses the water chamber 5- as well as upper gas chamber 7--- and lower gas chamber 8.

' It will also be noted that water leg 2 surrounding combustion chamber -1- is relatively thin above dome19- of drum +3- at position .20 for instance; thus providing only a thin 'body of water above dome -19 just at a point over the area of the dome where the hottest gases strike the dome within the combustion chamber and result in an intense application of heat to the water above the dome from which the water leaves thedome through pipe -21 to be carried over the water heating system.

Door 22- is used for admitting hard coal or coke and the like when such fuel is used in my boiler while door 23- is used, in connection with such fuels, as a clean-out door; but when gas or oil are used, such fuel would be admitted to lower chamber '24: through an opening in casin -4: preferably in the relative position of .door 23.

A cold water return pipe 25 is provided for admitting the supply of water to the lower area of water chamber 5.

A water gauge 26 is provided to indicate the water level while a steam gauge 27 is used for safety.

Sloping plate 11 and sloping plate -28-- are provided for the enclosure of water chamber 5 and are used also for the support of tubes 6 extending through water chamber 5 Grate 29 is used for supporting a fire where coke or hard coal 80 is being burned. v

Figure 3 discloses a gas or oil combustion unit 31 in dotted lines showing how the same would be used if grate 29 were removed and only oil or gas used.

This boiler is so designed as to recognize the principle of counterflow and stratification in transferring heat from the products of combustion to water in the effort to secure the highest possible efiiciency in a heating plant.

In this connection I bring allcold water returns to the lowest part of the economizer section through spud thereby bringing the coldest water in contact with the coldest gases before they leave the lower gas chamber as they enter the house flue thus securing the highest over-all etliciency. The "water chamber of the economizer section and the water leg about the combustion chamber are cross connected below and abovethrough the water ways -3Z and 33 respectively so as to establish a ready circulation and carry the water to'the ,point'that is absorbing the most heat from the products of combustion due to the physical laws governing the heatin g of water where hot water moves up above the level of the cold water. Thus in this situationthe water being heated would maintain in the boiler what may be termed a thermostatic balance.

the hottest Water to be delivered to the top.

The cross connections -32 and 38 re- 7 spoctively therefore accommodate a free passage to both the water units in proportion to their respective ability to heat the water.

. Hence to explain in detail: the water circulation in the water compartment: cold water enters the water compartment through cold water return 25- where as it enters V the water chamber 5, it receives an application of comparatively low temperature heat conducted from the hot products of combustion at their lowest temperature level before ter where through a communicating aperture -33 the hot water may pass freely from chamber 5 to water leg --2.

' It will also be noted that by providing sloping heads l1 and .28 for chamber '5' enabling the hot water to freely circulate between chamber -'5 and water leg 2, I make it unnecessary to have connected with the top of the boiler any more than the one hot water outlet. 7

To those skilled in the heating art, it will That is the tendency of the coldest water to remain on the bottom and v be evident that certain minor details of construction may be varied and would be permissible within the spirit and scope of my invention, but the preferred design and method of operation has been illustrated in the drawings and described in the above paragraphs.

Having thus described the merits and character of my invention and the preferred do tails of construction thereof, I claim:

A boiler and water heater comprising in cooperative combination an upright drum forming a combustion chamber, a second upright drum encompassing the first and spaced therefrom forming a relatively thin water leg about the combustion chamber drum and a relatively thin water space above the combustion chamber drum; an outer wall connected with and partially encompassing said'second drum said outer wall provided with an upper anda lower outlet on the side thereof. for the hot products of combustion and a house flue connected with said outlets; spaced header plates secured to said second drum and enestablishing water communication between 1 said waterleg and said water chamber; means for admittingcold water into said water chamber and means for releasing water from the top vofsaidj second drum over said first drum. s a r p In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand, this 23d day of Aug, A. D. 1927.

ouis D; SUMMERS. I a 

